Refillable cosmetic container

ABSTRACT

According to a refillable cosmetic container of the present invention, an inner assembly  20  keeping a substance can be simply separated from an outer assembly  10  by operating a button.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of Korean Application No. 10-2013-0110927, filed on Sep. 16, 2013 with the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a refillable cosmetic container, and more particularly, to a refillable cosmetic container that can be simply refilled with an inner housing keeping a substance.

2. Description of the Related Art

In general, various refillable products that allow customers to purchase and use commodities at low prices have been put on the market.

In those refillable products, there are refillable products that are refilled with a substance in the original container and refillable products that are refilled with an inner container keeping a substance in an outer container.

The products that are refilled with a substance in the original container may be bath articles and detergents and the products that are refilled with an inner container including contents in an outer container may be cosmetics.

In Korean Utility Model. No. 282756, titled ‘A case of cosmetic for replace’, an inner container keeping a substance is put from under into an outer container with an open bottom and a cap is coupled to a thread on the outer side of the lower portion of the outer container, so the inner container is retained in the outer container.

As described above, by putting an inner container into an outer container in one container and, not by refilling the outer container with a substance, but by putting the inner container into the outer container for refilling, it is possible to refill lotion and skin toner that are basic cosmetics requiring cleanliness. Further, designs can be freely changed by outer containers, so it is possible to always provide new commodity images to customers and to provide cosmetic customers with relatively expensive cosmetics at low prices.

There is a prior art document having these advantages, in which a cap for keeping a refilled inner container is thread-fastened to an outer container. However, there is a problem in this configuration that it takes long time to separate and couple the cap to refill the inner container and the inner container cannot be put into the outer container due to friction of the thread if the cap is not accurately coupled to the outer container.

PRIOR ART DOCUMENT [Patent Document 1] Korean Utility Model Registration No. 20-0405326 [Patent Document 2] Korean Patent Registration No. 10-1211964 [Patent Document 3] Korean Utility Model Registration No. 20-0455000 [Patent Document 4] Korean Utility Model Registration No. 20-0403999 SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An object of the present invention is to provide a refillable cosmetic container that can be simply refilled with an inner housing keeping a substance.

According to an aspect of the present invention, a refillable cosmetic container includes: an outer assembly having an insertion space therein; an inner assembly keeping a substance therein, inserted in the insertion space, and separably coupled to the outer assembly; and a button coupled to the outer assembly to lock the inner assembly and unlocking the inner assembly when force is applied by a user.

The button may lock the outer assembly and the inner assembly when being coupled to the outer assembly, and when the button is moved relatively to the outer assembly by force from a user, the button may unlock the outer assembly and the inner assembly.

The button may be maintained in the outer assembly when the inner assembly is separated from the outer assembly.

The refillable cosmetic container may further include an elastic member supported on the outer assembly and applying an elastic force to the button.

The button may be horizontally moved relatively to the outer assembly and vertically locks the inner assembly.

The button may include: a button body disposed at the outer assembly; button locking portions formed at the button body and locking the inner assembly; and a button head formed at the button body to be exposed outside, transmitting force from a user to the button body, and locking the outer assembly.

When the button is moved by force from a user, the button head and the outer assembly may be unlocked, and the button locking portions and the inner assembly may be unlocked.

When the button is moved by force from a user, the button locking portions may be unlocked from the inner assembly and then inserted into button unlocking portions formed at the outer assembly.

According to a refillable cosmetic container of the present invention, an inner assembly keeping a substance can be simply separated from an outer assembly by operating a button.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a refillable cosmetic container according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a bottom perspective view of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view with a cap removed in FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a front view of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a right side view of FIG. 3.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line B-B of FIG. 4.

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along line C-C of FIG. 4.

FIG. 8 is an exploded perspective view of FIG. 1.

FIG. 9 is a bottom perspective view of FIG. 8.

FIG. 10 is a front view of FIG. 8.

FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A of FIG. 10.

FIG. 12 is an exploded perspective view of FIG. 3.

FIG. 13 is a bottom perspective view of FIG. 12.

FIG. 14 is a front view of FIG. 12.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

In describing the present invention, well-known functions or constructions will not be described in detail since they may unnecessarily obscure the understanding of the present invention. It should be noted that even if the same terms are used but they indicate different components, they are not given the same reference numerals.

The terms described hereafter are terms defined in consideration of the functions in the present disclosure and may be change in accordance with the intention of a user such as an experimenter and a measurer and a custom, so the definition should be based on the entire description of the present disclosure.

Terms used in the specification, ‘first’, ‘second’, and the like, may be used to describe various components, but the components are not to be construed as being limited to the terms. The terms are used to distinguish one component from another component. For example, the ‘first.’ component may be named the ‘second’ component, and vice versa, without departing from the scope of the present invention. The term ‘and/or’ includes a combination of a plurality of items or any one of a plurality of terms.

Terms used in the present specification are used only in order to describe specific exemplary embodiments rather than limiting the present invention. As used herein, the singular forms are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

Unless otherwise defined, all terms including technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention belongs. It must be understood that the terms defined by the dictionary are identical with the meanings within the context of the related art, and they should not be ideally or excessively formally defined unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.

Further, unless explicitly described otherwise, “comprising” any components will be understood to imply the inclusion of other components rather than the exclusion of any other components.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a refillable cosmetic container according to a first embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a bottom perspective view of FIG. 1, FIG. 3 is a perspective view with a cap removed in FIG. 1, FIG. 4 is a front view of FIG. 3, FIG. 5 is a right side view of FIG. 3, FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line B-B of FIG. 4, FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along line C-C of FIG. 4, FIG. 8 is an exploded perspective view of FIG. 1, FIG. 9 is a front view of FIG. 8, FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A of FIG. 9, FIG. 11 is an exploded perspective view of FIG. 3, FIG. 12 is a bottom perspective view of FIG. 11, and FIG. 13 is a front view of FIG. 11.

As illustrated in the figures, a refillable cosmetic container according to the present embodiment includes: an outer assembly 10 having an insertion space 11 therein; an inner assembly 20 keeping a substance therein, inserted in the insertion space 11, and combined with the outer assembly 10; a cap 30 surrounding the upper portion of the inner assembly 20 and combined with the outer assembly 10; and a button 40 coupled to the inner assembly 20 and moved by a user such that the inner assembly 20 can be coupled/separated to/from the outer assembly 10, and locking the outer assembly 10.

In this embodiment, the inner assembly 20 keeping a substance can be separated from the outer assembly 10 and replaced.

The inner assembly 20 includes an inner body 22 keeping a substance therein, open at a side, and inserted in the insertion space 11, an inner cap 50 coupled to the inner body 22 and combined with the button 40, and an exit cap 26 coupled to the inner cap 50 to close the inner cap 50.

The inner body 22 is formed in a cylindrical shape with the top open to correspond to the insertion space 11 in this embodiment.

The inner cap 50 is fitted on the inner body 22, fixes the inner body 22, and combined with the button 40 to horizontally guide the button 40.

The inner cap 50 includes an inner cap body 52 having a hole 51 to communicate with the inside of the inner body 22 and inner cap stoppers 54 formed in the inner cap body 52 and selectively locking the button 40 when the inner assembly 20 is coupled/separated.

Further, the inner body 22 is fitted on the inner cap body 22 in this embodiment, and to this end, an inner cap seat 56 where the inner body 22 is fitted in formed on the bottom of the inner cap body 52.

Further, the inner cap 50 and the exit cap 26 are thread-fastened in this embodiment, so threads are formed on the outer side of the inner cap body 52 and the inner side of the exit cap 26.

The button 40 includes a button body 42 surrounding the inner cap body 52 and a button head 44 formed on the button body 42 and transmitting force from a user to the button body 42.

The button body 42 is formed in an arc shape and button locking portions 43 formed on the button body 42 are positioned in the inner cap stoppers 54.

Herein, when a force by a user is not applied, the inner cap stoppers 54 and the button locking portions 43 are locked to each other, but after a force by a user is applied, the button locking portions 43 are horizontally moved and unlocked from the inner cap stoppers 54.

In this embodiment, an elastic member 45 providing an elastic force to the button 40 is provided to return the button 40, supported on the outer assembly 10, and elastically supports the button body 42.

That is, when force by a user is not applied to the button 40, the button 40 is supported by the elastic member 45 and locks the inner cap 50, so the inner assembly 20 is prevented from separating from the outer assembly 10.

Further, when the button 40 is horizontally moved and the button locking portions 43 are unlocked from the inner cap body 52, the inner assembly 20 can be separated from the outer assembly 10.

Herein, the button 40 may lock the inner cap body 52 in various easy, but in this embodiment, the button locking portions 43 and the inner cap stoppers 54 are provided to lock each other vertically with respect to the inner assembly 20.

Accordingly, the inner cap body 52 may be unlocked when the button is vertically moved, or the inner cap body 52 may be unlocked when the button is turned.

Meanwhile, the outer assembly 10 has a structure for operating the button to lock the inner assembly 20.

The outer assembly 10 includes an outer body 12 having the insertion space 11, a shoulder 60 coupled to the outer body 12 and selectively lock the button 40, and a button housing 70 formed on the outer body 12, combined with the shoulder 60 to fix it, and receiving the button 40.

The outer body 12 may be formed in various shapes and the insertion space 11 may be formed in a shape corresponding to the inner body 22.

The shoulder 60 includes a shoulder body 62 formed in a ring shape to receive the inner assembly 20, a button locking portion 64 formed on the shoulder body 62 and locking the button head 44 inserted therein, and a shoulder coupling portion 66 coupled to the button housing 70.

The button locking portion 64 is a groove formed toward the outer body 12.

The shoulder coupling portion 66 is coupled to the button housing 70, and is formed like a groove on the inner side of the shoulder body 62 in this embodiment.

The button head 44 is exposed through the button locking portion 64 and a user unlocks the shoulder 60 by pressing the button head 44.

The button housing 70 includes a button housing body 72 formed on the outer body 12 and coupled to the shoulder body 62, button housing coupling portions 76 formed on the button housing body 72 and coupled to the shoulder coupling portion 66, a button hole 74 formed in the button housing body 72 to communicate with the button locking portion 64 and receiving the button head 44, and button unlocking portions 78 receiving the button locking portions 43 of the button body 42 when the button 40 is operated.

The button housing body 72 is formed on the top of the outer body 12, protruding upward, in this embodiment.

The button housing body 72 is formed in a ring shape to be inserted in the shoulder 60.

The button housing coupling portions 76 are a protrusions in this embodiment, so they are inserted in the shoulder coupling portion 66 and fix the shoulder 60 to the button housing body 72.

Herein, the button housing coupling portions 76 radially protrude on the outer side of the button housing body 72.

Further, the button unlocking portions 78 are formed in a groove shape to receive the button locking portions of the button 40 in this embodiment, and the button housing coupling portions 76 are disposed radially outside further than the button unlocking portions 78.

Herein, since the button housing coupling portions 76 are disposed outside further than the button unlocking portions 78, it is possible to maximally ensure the thickness of the button housing body 72 due to the groove-shaped button unlocking portions 78.

Further, a button supporting portion 75 supporting the button head 44 may be formed at the outer body 12, and in this embodiment, the button supporting portion 75 supports the elastic member 45.

Herein, the elastic member 45 supported on the button supporting portion 75 supports the inner side of the button head 44, so when force from a user is not provided, the elastic member pushes the button head 44 radially outward such that the button head 44 is exposed through the button locking portion 64.

Operation of the cosmetic container according to the first embodiment of the present invention is described in detail with reference to the drawings.

First, in an assembled state, the button head 44 of the button 40 is exposed through the shoulder 60 and the button locking portions 43 are locked to the inner cap stoppers 54.

Accordingly, when the inner assembly 20 is separated from the outer assembly 10, it is not separated because the button head 44 is locked to the shoulder 60 fixed to the outer assembly 10 and the button locking portions 43 are locked to the inner cap stoppers 54 fixed to the inner assembly 20.

Next, when a user pushes the button head 44 inward, the button head 44 is moved into the shoulder 60 and unlocked from the shoulder 60 and the button locking portions 43 are inserted into the button unlocking portions 78 and unlocked from the inner cap stoppers 54.

The button 40 moved by the user is unlocked from the inner cap 50 and positioned in the button housing 70, so the inner assembly 20 can be separated from the outer assembly 10.

The button 40 separated from the inner assembly 20 is positioned inside the button housing 70.

Accordingly, as user can easily separate only the inner assembly 20 from the outer assembly 10 by operating the button 40 and to easily replace the substance by putting an inner assembly 20 for refilling into the outer assembly 10.

Although exemplary embodiments of the present invention were described above with reference to the accompanying drawings, the present invention is not limited thereto and those skilled in the art would understand that the present invention may be implemented in various ways without changing the necessary features or the spirit of the prevent invention. Therefore, it should be understood that the exemplary embodiments are not limiting but illustrative in all aspects. 

1. A refillable cosmetic container comprising: an outer assembly having an insertion space therein; an inner assembly keeping a substance therein, inserted in the insertion space, and separably coupled to the outer assembly; and a button coupled to the outer assembly to lock the outer assembly and the inner assembly and unlocking the inner assembly when force is applied by a user.
 2. The refillable cosmetic container of claim 1, wherein the button locks the outer assembly and the inner assembly when being coupled to the outer assembly, and when the button is moved relatively to the outer assembly by force from a user, the button unlocks the outer assembly and the inner assembly.
 3. The refillable cosmetic container of claim 1, wherein the button is maintained in the outer assembly when the inner assembly is separated from the outer assembly.
 4. The refillable cosmetic container of claim 1, further comprising an elastic member supported on the outer assembly and applying an elastic force to the button.
 5. The refillable cosmetic container of claim 1, wherein the button is horizontally moved relatively to the outer assembly and vertically locks the inner assembly.
 6. The refillable cosmetic container of claim 5, wherein the button includes: a button body disposed at the outer assembly; button locking portions formed at the button body and locking the inner assembly; and a button head formed at the button body to be exposed outside, transmitting force from a user to the button body, and locking the outer assembly.
 7. The refillable cosmetic container of claim 6, wherein when the button is moved by force from a user, the button head and the outer assembly are unlocked, and the button locking portions and the inner assembly are unlocked.
 8. The refillable cosmetic container of claim 6, wherein when the button is moved by force from a user, the button locking portions are unlocked from the inner assembly and then inserted into button unlocking portions formed at the outer assembly.
 9. The refillable cosmetic container of claim 4, wherein the button includes: a button body disposed at the outer assembly; button locking portions formed at the button body and locking the inner assembly; and a button head formed at the button body to be exposed outside, transmitting force from a user to the button body, and locking the outer assembly.
 10. The refillable cosmetic container of claim 9, wherein when the button is moved by force from a user, the button head and the outer assembly are unlocked, and the button locking portions and the inner assembly are unlocked.
 11. The refillable cosmetic container of claim 9, wherein when the button is moved by force from a user, the button locking portions are unlocked from the inner assembly and then inserted into button unlocking portions formed at the outer assembly.
 12. The refillable cosmetic container of claim 3, wherein the button includes: a button body disposed at the outer assembly; button locking portions formed at the button body and locking the inner assembly; and a button head formed at the button body to be exposed outside, transmitting force from a user to the button body, and locking the outer assembly.
 13. The refillable cosmetic container of claim 12, wherein when the button is moved by force from a user, the button head and the outer assembly are unlocked, and the button locking portions and the inner assembly are unlocked.
 14. The refillable cosmetic container of claim 12, wherein when the button is moved by force from a user, the button locking portions are unlocked from the inner assembly and then inserted into button unlocking portions formed at the outer assembly.
 15. The refillable cosmetic container of claim 2, wherein the button includes: a button body disposed at the outer assembly; button locking portions formed at the button body and locking the inner assembly; and a button head formed at the button body to be exposed outside, transmitting force from a user to the button body, and locking the outer assembly.
 16. The refillable cosmetic container of claim 15, wherein when the button is moved by force from a user, the button head and the outer assembly are unlocked, and the button locking portions and the inner assembly are unlocked.
 17. The refillable cosmetic container of claim 15, wherein when the button is moved by force from a user, the button locking portions are unlocked from the inner assembly and then inserted into button unlocking portions formed at the outer assembly.
 18. The refillable cosmetic container of claim 1, wherein the button includes: a button body disposed at the outer assembly; button locking portions formed at the button body and locking the inner assembly; and a button head formed at the button body to be exposed outside, transmitting force from a user to the button body, and locking the outer assembly.
 19. The refillable cosmetic container of claim 18, wherein when the button is moved by force from a user, the button head and the outer assembly are unlocked, and the button locking portions and the inner assembly are unlocked.
 20. The refillable cosmetic container of claim 18, wherein when the button is moved by force from a user, the button locking portions are unlocked from the inner assembly and then inserted into button unlocking portions formed at the outer assembly. 